Roman history on display and in the field
Author: Harry Lindelauf
Photography: Anja Neskens
The exhibition Roman Villas in Limburg and a new Via Belgica bench in the Ravensbos are proof of a new way of presenting Roman history. From now on, treasures in the museum and discovery sites in the region will be linked together.
It is precisely this connection between “showcase” and “field” that the new Roman Museum in Heerlen aims to achieve. In the Pop-Up (temporary) museum at De Vondst, the Roman Museum shines with a series of Roman highlights that have never before been displayed together. Here, for example, all finds from the sarcophagi discovered in 1920 at the Vossekuil are brought together.
Most of the Roman objects in the museum’s showcases in Heerlen were found in South Limburg, often along the Via Belgica. Outdoors, in the region, the excavation sites themselves are also attractive destinations for museum visitors. They literally form the foundations of the museum’s rich collection, in the very landscape where the Romans once created so much prosperity.
A bonus for hikers
At the opening of the exhibition, the link between “showcase” and “field” was symbolized by the inauguration of a new Via Belgica bench. On Thursday 19 June 2025, it was unveiled by Benoît Mater, the museum’s project leader, and Wim Weerts, alderman of Valkenburg. The information board on the bench refers to the Roman villa of Ravensbosch, the remains of which lie a little further away near Strabeek. The bench is located at the end of the Charles Eyckdreef, at a parking area in the Ravensbos – a welcome bonus for the countless hikers walking the Pieterpad. And for those who choose to leave the Pieterpad route and head to the exhibition in Heerlen: finds from the Ravensbosch villa are on display there as well.
Exhibition Roman Villas in Limburg, Pop-Up Roman Museum, De Vondst, Raadhuisplein 20, Heerlen. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 1–5 pm. Until 4 January 2026.
The exhibition was jointly developed by the National Museum of Antiquities, the Limburgs Museum, and the Roman Museum, with financial support from the Mondriaan Fund.
See also: Villa Ravensbosch, still a Roman mystery
